Lovecraftian dungeon delver rouglike, RNG heavy combat, randomly generated dungeons. What's not to like? UNDECIDED * minimal plot. A few sentenced before boss encounters * higher difficulties don't actually add difficulty, but are more grindy PRO * nice cosmic horror atmosphere * good looking, comic book style * nice sound effects * satisfying gameplay loop (hire guys, prepare for delve, dungeoneering, send survivors to heal, repeat) * permadeath guarantees high tension * inventory is simple, but meaningful * color of madness DLC adds fun enemies * unique mechanics (lighting and torches, madness) CONTRA * very grindy, especially with Crimson Court * defeat the same boss multiple times "mechanic" is very cheap * gameplay conflict: hiring high level adventurers is cheaper than healing old guards who you built from level one. Optimal way seems to be to intentionally kill off characters with quirks on suicide runs, and hire new guys * gameplay doesn't have enough depth to support the additional grind of higher difficulties. Easiest (radiant) seems to be the way to go * Crimson court DLC adds even more grind to the base game * Shieldbreaker DLC is a shameless cash grab TIPS * build stagecoach to maximum * build upgrades which give you high level adventures * high level new hires will arrive with unlocked gear/ability sets, saving you thousands of gold * if interested, play in radiant mode to have the least possible grind, and don't buy Crimson Court Good for what it is, but keep in mind that this is a rougelike delver, not an RPG, not a tactics game. Can get repeatative, but before it happens, you will have a good time with it.
Turn based, rougelite tactical game with some RPG elements (levelups, stats, personal gear, random events), in a Warhammer fantasy-inspired, randomly generated world. Company management is JA/Disciples style: hire losers, level them up, pay their wages. Turn based tactical battles are similar to Panzer General/Heroes 3. Campaign gameplay is a general buildup towards a big crisis, with additional merc contracts, looting as time permits. Similar to an XCOM campaign in many ways. UNDECIDED * permadeath. I like it, but it is not for everyone * DLCs add width, but not depth. (ie. more crisis-related events are not added, but it would be important) PRO * graphic style is unique * music is brilliant * writing (random events) is captivating * world is alive without player involvement (ie. some towns solve their problems on their own) * player not forced into a good guy role * AI acts smart in battles * different behaviour per enemy type, one cannot use the same tactics in every encounter * all weapons and armor are useful in different ways * nice tabletop RPG references (ie. pub rumours, obituary) CONTRA * economy/difficulty brakes in longer (120 days+) games * crafting is useless * gets repetitive after the initial honeymoon period * all DLCs add nice gameplay tweaks, but also new enemies. Tweaks without new enemies are not available * player feedback is minimal (ie. rules of looting are never explained) This game is a rough diamond. The devs found a working formula, but even DLCs don't add elements which support a longer game. (ie. more unique, crisis-buildup contracts like XCOM) Still, well done tactical games are very rare, and this title is good enough.
Reboot of a well loved franchise, in a genre which is very rarely served in gaming. I don't remember good squad-level tactical games since JA2 and Silent Storm. What it is: stopping an alien invasion, with global strategy planning, and with tactical battles involving 4-6 commandos on an isometric map. Compared to the original game a few things were streamlined. For example the squad and the enemies are less numerous, so missions are ~30 mins instead of 60-90. You only have to manage one base instead of numerous bases, inventory is less invasive since there are less items per soldier. PRO * the AI is reasonable, tries to flank or focuses down soldiers who can be killed * own soldier abilites add additional options and combinations as time goes on. Easy to get into, but more depth is added later * permadeath, which is a very brave thing nowadays * no handholding, players treated with respect * graphics are pretty, has a "serious cartoon" style which I like CONTRA * the in game tutorial marks certain options priority. Very misleading, as these are NOT the most useful topics, but ones which advance the plot. * there are some too powerful player options in Enemy Unknown (mimetic skin) * the operations slingshot DLC has serious issues. The missions are very difficult, and the reward brakes the game economy. I advise to turn the DLC off in the first campaign. UNDECIDED * encountering aliens gives them a free turn. Unrealistic, but adds tension when you don't see them. I find it fun, but it is not for everyone The end result is great squad level tactical game, with faster pace than the original. The best in the genre since 1999 (JA2), and in my opinion superior to XCOM2. Good job!
As XCOM1, a nice squad based, isometric tactical game. There are some differences compared to the first game though. PRO: * very pretty, and good looking * more customization options for troops * no untested options on the scale of XCOM 1's mimetic skin * time limit adds a nice twist to missions. These are _always leisure_, most of the time 2/3 of the limit is enough for the objectives. But it is nice that they are there. * generated maps, which seem to work well. Didn't encounter any layouts which were totally unreasonale. CONTRA: * I get regular mini-freezes, problems with sound when the game refocuses between two areas. Happens on tactical and base maintenance map as well. Cannot get rid of this. Alt+Tab usually works for some reason. * the enemies are very often humanoids in armor (advent troops), which are less interesting than the varied species' from X1 Undecided: * one start region plus continous expanions vs. XCOM1's "lose a country, it's lost for good" approach. The result is a less tense campaign play * the squad usually starts concealed, which makes the game much easier. The tense exploration of the unkown is replaced by badass monster hunting. I feel losing that tension didn't do good for gameplay, but some folks might like it better this way. * art direction is on the silly side, but again, this might work for others. XCOM 1 has realistic military helmets, oakley sunglasses and berets. XCOM 2 has pirate eyeband, star wars pilot helmet and huge glasses. It is a more carefree, easy-ish, version of XCOM 1, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I prefer the first one, but this one isn't bad either. Recommended, but wait for discount. I would totally buy a Terror from the Deep+Lovecraft+Vietnam war+Delta Green game from this company.
Nicely balanced squad level tactical game. Turn based combat, permadeth, destructible and multi-level terrain. UNDECIDED - a campaign is rather long, I think 80 hours at first, what you can cut to ~60 on later attempts. The game requires more commitment than Shadowrun or XCOM - this game is not for gun nuts. There are enough options, all with their niche though. Enough for me, but there is not Jagged Alliance level of customization available. PRO - lovely art style and sprites - early 80's cold war aesthatics provide nice flavor, and is rather unique - no handholding, players are treated with respect - non-tactical gameplay is streamlined from the original, almost no annoying base management is necessary - nice sounds CONS - some super fun options from the original UFO are not available (such as psion soldiers or guided rockets) - maps are randomly chosen from a pool, but there are not enough map layouts to support a long campaign. You will see the same layouts again and again. - biggest problem for me: the text is very tiny, and there is no possibility in game to make it readable. (well there is, but maximum setting is till very tiny) Unfortunately, while the devs are aware of this issue, they cannot fix it. Alltogether, a good remake of the original, what I would recommend. I would surely buy a lovecraft-ish Terror from the deep from the devs, as long as they fix the tiny texts issue.
Old-school RPG with innovations, set in the dark ages. Important: this is an RPG, not a survival or tactical game. A clan leader, who has to prove her worthiness, finds herself entangled in conflict, in Fistful of dollars fashion between saxons, picts and norse over in Britain. PRO - This is among the best representation of dark ages I have ever seen. A bit gritty, but folks are not portrayed dumb, and there are quite a few merry moments. - campaign structure is very nice. Can work for all parties until a break point. Similar to New Vegas or Deadfire. - reacitivity is very good. Tailor made responses instead of relationship counters - there is a (leisure!) time limit in the game. Elegant solution for rest spamming - roleplay as you want, the game doesn't force morality on you. Acting like a pillager, mercenary or a trader all work. Greedy choices often worth a considering, consequences never feel "evil tax", but are there - multiple solutions to quests, fights can be avoided. Pacifist playthrough not possible, due to the initial setup. A diplomat-support main character is viable tho. - choices matter in this game - companions provide background and minimal banter. No Bioware whiners :) - partial voiceover, nice for replays - low key plot, not saving the world - the battle system is very good. You can jump in instantly, and you add more complex team combinations during the game. CONTRA - loading times at select places are very bad (ie. Ribe) - it would be nice to have a compass on city maps. Easy to get lost when entering and exiting a building changes the orientation without notice - the AI never gives up. It means you have to chase the hopeless bandits around the map - minimum ability point spend to unlock ability tier: a tax for the player who knows what is needed for the team. Ie. you cannot create an artisan hireling, because to unlock talents you need to spend surplus points. Not very nice. One of the best CRPGs of the last ten years. Well done!
Point and click detective game, set in a Dresden files-like urban fantasy setting. Very light on puzzles, focused on dialog, pretty graphics, very good music, newbie friendly. The outcome is basically a Bioware or Shadowrun game without combat and walking back and forth. UNDECIDED - puzzles are too easy. This makes the game approachable/newbie friendly, but veterans will be disappointed - to hear party banter, you have to stay at the location, even if you are finished there - standard urban fantasy setting, no innovations. This makes it easily approachable, and everyone feels at home from the get go - companions are hit and miss. Some are fun to have around, but unfortunately there are some Bioware-style whiners PRO - pretty graphics - music is awesome - the NY scenes were crafted with love. I think the devs are either locals, or love the city - full voiceover, most are good. (there are a few bad ones) - asking companions to do something feels better than to have a detective special ability which is common in these games (ie. strength boost as cyborg) - companion interactions add a lot to this genre - can be played in short bursts. One case is usually half an hour. - most puzzles can be solved in multiple ways, take the companions you like the most - extras, like cops and locals are memorable. I have seen similar only in VtM: Bloodlines CONTRA - the plot doesn't hold any surprises - the antagonist and her actions are quite low key. Especially since she is a corrupter/knowledge demon - in a few (really, not many) cases the writing is lazy. Dialog options which would make the most sense, and which would make everyone survive are simply not there. For plot reasons :( - puzzles can only be solved in a pre-set order. Ie. you find a doll, but you cannot pick it up until a ghost doesn't tell you lost her doll - there is no pause/rewind option in cutscenes - it is very-very disheartening to find a journal detailing the big bad's plan
Depends on personal preference * PC is "chosen one", the events are world changing * generic fantasy setting * heavy on combat * MMO style cooldown counters on abilities * fake names: Fampyr instad of vampire, orlan instead of hobbit, fan of flames instead of burning hands * engagement (attacks of opportunity) mechanic enforces MMO-style "puller-aggro" mechanics on the game Good * the maps are pretty * writing quality is better than average (with unexpected low points) * some dungeons are well designed (temple of Eothas, Raedric's hold) * no pre-combat buff spells * every weapon has it's niche * some well written and voice acted companions * unique items are really good in this game. Some have drawbacks, some have interesting mechanics, etc. * runs smoothly, very stable Bad * hissing with every "s" sound of female voice sets * main story was unoriginal/boring * quest design has some low points (parcel service quests in Defiance Bay) * on exotic characters "fake accents" (italian-spanish-romani mix?) were used. The voice actors couldn't cope with this and the result is very bad. * the only source of player feedbac is the combat log. Spell effect description disappears instantly, active icons are very small to see. * majority (95%+) of fights are very easy trashmobs without any design consideration. No challenge, but eats up time. Very big step back from IWD 1! * the AI settings are not usable. No possibility to write DA:Origins style macros. (would be useful: you will use the same abilities in the same order in every trashfight) * most dungeon designs are very linear, corridor-ish. There are some exceptions. While I stated more bad points than good, Pillars is not a bad game. It is... a safe bet, generic, a bit bland. I had big problems with the combintaion of: cooldown mechanics+ lots of trashmobs+ bad AI scripts+ no way to set detailed AI. But I understand this is a personal opinion.
Blood and Wine has everything I liked about Wild Hunt, but in a more focused area and with better pacing. Pro: - the antagonist is more interesting than the Wild Hunt, and also gets more screen time - the main sidekick, Regis, is my favorite character in the game, very entertaining to have around - there is only one patient buildup, not many localized peaks like in Wild Hunt. The pacing is better as a result - there is some minor additional build options with mutation research - Corvo Bianco is the only stronghold I liked in CRPG history - the enemies are more varied, and some have intresting attack patterns - the devs increased the common mobs, so it's not just drowner-ghoul-wolf anymore - some scenes are really breathtaking - looting is a bit simplified, you don't have to click on every individual container, only "a bunch of containers", which cuts a bit of tedium - there are quest awards which are actually great, and better than witcher gear! Yay! - for once, it's not raining, and the wind's not howling Cons: - I don't really like the colors they used for the environment, but it's a minor problem - mutations were not really tested, there is a clear winner, which is better than everything. (nothing forces the player to use it tho) - the game is still too easy I think, especially with an imported character In the case of Witcher "more of the same" should be a compliment I think. However in this case the devs actually improved the base game in many ways, and this DLC is like a shorter but more focused separate adventure. Some problematic things (story pacing, loot, itemization, enemy variety and patterns) were addressed, a few were left as is (difficulty, some OP combos), and there were no new problems introduced. This DLC is a win. While being a DLC, it has better quality content than most open world games.
PRO - the game looks beautiful - fantasy colonies are more interesting than PoE Wales - the battles are more interesting - the characters are finely written for the most part. They are not boring (PoE), but not Joss Whedon teens either (DA:O/BG2) - the exploration part of the gameplay is one of the best in the market. This is as close to Baldur's Gate (the first one) as it gets, and the main selling point of the game CONTRA - still lot's of meaningless trashmob fights (PoE was worse in this regard, but still) - the setting and the main plot is at odds with each other (colonies+politics vs. god walks the earth) - the gods of the setting, which is a main plot point, is not as interesting as Obsidian thinks - the devs put some tought into minimizing rest-spam, but still forgot to add random encounters. This is strange, since this worked well in some of their earlier games (Icewind Dale 1) - still no meaningful AI programing (like in DA:origins). Since you use the same abilities in the same order in every fight, this would be a really good addition. UNDECIDED - no Vancian casting, everything works on cooldowns. Resource management is cut from the game. I personally don't like this, but some players hate Vancian memorization, so... - the system behind the game is very secretive. It is not easy to tell why something happens, the lack of player feedback is still problematic. (players have to read through the battle log) - mages are more like artillery batteries. Players have to buy the spells upon levelups, and these spells are repeatable as per cooldowns. This means that you will cast the same spells in the same order, in every single trashfight. Macro wanted! OVERALL After PoE, I decided to ignore everything from Obsidian, so I had no expectations at all. It was quite a surprise that this game is actually a step forward. I actually think that this is a nice game if the player is mainly interested in exploration, and doesn't mind the boring main plot.
